Use AI on your computer or with your own key

Wabcut has no account and no middleman. Its AI runs on your own computer, or with a cloud provider you choose and pay directly with your own key. Nothing leaves your computer unless you turn on a cloud feature.

What runs on your computer#

These run on your GPU or CPU and send nothing anywhere:

• transcription;
• Enhance Speech;
• stem separation;
• smart search;
• object masks;
• the highlight finder.

Some download a model the first time you use them, and you are asked first.

Add a cloud provider with your own key#

1. Open Settings (the gear at the bottom of the left rail, or Ctrl+,) > "AI". Its tabs are "Providers and keys", "Models", "Privacy", "Usage" and "Local assistant".
2. In "Providers and keys", pick a provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, AssemblyAI, or "Ollama (this computer)".
3. Paste the key in "Paste API key", then choose "Save and check".
   • "Get a key" opens the provider's page.
   • "Data terms" shows what the provider does with your data.

Keys are kept in your system's credential store (the Windows Credential Manager, the macOS Keychain or the Secret Service on Linux), never in project files. They are masked everywhere, and crash reports never contain them.

To use a model by name, for one newer than Wabcut's list or one your own server runs, enter a provider and a model id in "Assistant model" at the top of Settings > AI and choose "Use". Its chip removes it again.

Approve what is sent#

The first time a feature would send something to a provider, Wabcut asks "Send to ?". The dialog shows "What is sent", "Where", "What the provider does with it" and the "Price".

Choose "Allow once" or "Always allow". "Cancel" sends nothing.

Watch the cost#

Every cloud call shows its estimated cost first.

• "Usage" shows what you have spent with each provider.
• "Cap $" sets a monthly cap per provider. Calls that would pass the cap are refused; 0 means no cap.

Keep a project off the cloud#

The "Privacy" tab has two switches that neither consent nor "Always allow" can override:

• "Offline mode": no cloud calls at all, on this computer;
• "Lock this project to no-cloud AI": saved in the project, so it holds wherever the project goes.

Redacted regions and bleeped words are never uploaded in clear, whatever these switches say.

Turn AI off#

The "AI features" switch at the top of Settings > AI turns cloud AI off on this computer (offline mode) and hides the generative tools: the Generate panel, Rough Cut and Narration from Script. Local tools such as transcription keep working. Switch it back on and your previous offline choice returns.

Run the Assistant offline#

The "Local assistant" tab downloads and starts a local model, with "Download", "Start" and "Stop". The Assistant then works without a connection. See Use the command palette and the Assistant.